or not?
February 6, 2009 (Friday)
A new study shows that a cow will give more milk if she has a name. The study reveals that Bossie will give 68 more gallons than “Number 54” in a year. In all probability the answer lies in the fact that calling a cow by her name automatically makes the dairy farmers pay more attention and show more kindness to the cow, thereby helping her to feel more comfortable around humans and less tense. Hence, more leche.
Humans reflect the same tendency, perhaps for the same reasons plus a few more.
Dale Carnegie said, “The sweetest sound in the English language is the sound of a person’s own name.”
I heard of an actual mailout which really read, “Dear 463115376, we have a personal interest in you.”
Science fiction writers envision a day when every person will have a barcode affixed to his body in some way so that he may be identified easily. Not only will they know your number, but the number will reveal loads of information about you, practically everything worth knowing. In fact, such technology already exists.
Sometimes you can overhear medical workers discussing their patients as “the open heart” or “the pancreatic” instead of Mary Jones or Bill Green. We instinctively do not like to be referred to, in that way.
I am an American, a Baptist, a pastor, a driver, a father, a son, a brother, a former student, etc. etc. But first and foremost I am “Charles.” I want to be known that way. And you like it when people call your name as they talk with you. That’s the way it is, and that’s the way it should be.
If a cow’s productivity increases with a little personal attention, perhaps people will become friendlier, more cooperative and more productive if we let them know we are interested in them and appreciate what they do.